A federal judge in Chicago has ordered immigration enforcement officers to wear body cameras during operations in the city, addressing concerns over compliance with prior court directives amid the Trump administration's aggressive deportation efforts.
The ruling comes as protests against the federal actions intensify, with reports of tear gas and other riot-control measures deployed without adequate warnings.
Judge Sara Ellis, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, issued the order on Friday, requiring officers trained and equipped with body-worn cameras to activate them while conducting immigration enforcement activities, including public interactions.
This measure builds on her October 9 temporary restraining order, which prohibited the use of force or riot-control weapons against journalists, protesters, and clergy unless they posed a threat and mandated visible identification for officers.
The 14-day order, set to remain in effect until November 6, aims to curb alleged retaliatory actions documented in recent incidents.
President Donald Trump's "Operation Midway Blitz" has led to mass arrests and widespread demonstrations across Chicago, prompting the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to Illinois to address what the administration describes as unprecedented violence against federal law enforcement.
Protesters, journalists, and clergy filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other officials, alleging deliberate targeting and brutalization during demonstrations.
The suit demands declarations of unconstitutional conduct and injunctions against threats of arrest or use of riot-control agents like tear gas and rubber bullets without proper warnings or against non-threatening individuals.
During a Thursday hearing, Judge Ellis questioned Department of Justice attorneys about multiple violations, including deployments of tear gas without warnings to nearby protesters and journalists.
She expressed frustration over the apparent disregard for her prior order, stating she had seen concerning images and reports from local news sources.
Federal agents have been involved in several high-profile incidents in recent weeks, such as firing weapons in September that resulted in the death of a Mexican national and using pepper balls and smoke grenades against residents.
On Tuesday, agents pursued a car chase leading to a multi-vehicle collision, after which protesters threw objects and chanted against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting tear gas deployment toward the crowd and 13 local police officers.
In another episode that day, a masked agent pinned a 19-year-old to the sidewalk amid shouts that he was a citizen, with the reason for arrest unclear.
On Sunday, an attorney questioning agents about a warrant was shoved to the ground, causing injury, followed by tear gas use toward assembled protesters.
Local impacts have included schoolchildren kept indoors due to tear gas drifting near playgrounds.
Judge Ellis has scheduled a Monday hearing for representatives from federal immigration agencies to address implementation of her orders.
Meanwhile, state and city officials are litigating against the National Guard deployment.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's lawsuit prompted another judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the troops, upheld by an appeals court on Thursday.
Former immigration officials have criticized the operations as indiscriminate, prioritizing deportation numbers over public safety threats.
John Sandweg, a former acting ICE director, noted that agents appear to target undocumented individuals broadly without assessing risks.
These developments underscore the escalating legal and community pushback against the federal immigration strategy in Chicago.